Garment or ironing press



March 6, 1934.

E. DAVIS GARMENT 0R IRONING PRESS Ori nal Filed Feb. 23, 1929 /OL 4 /0L ,f

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNETED STATES FCE Prosperity Company, Inc., Syracuse, N.

corporation of New York Application February 23, 1929, Serial No. 342,221 Renewed November 14, 1931 17 Claims.

This invention relates to a garment or ironing press, and to actuating mechanism for machines havlng an opening and closing movement as pressing machines and has for its object, a partioularly simple and eiicient motor means having inertia means as a fly wheel for storing up the excess energy of the motor when the press is closing and utilizing the stored energy when the head goes under final pressure, particularly for boosting the motor when a toggle is used and approaches 'a straight line when the press is under heavy final pressure.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View, partly in elevation and partly diagrammatic, of this mechanism and the control therefor.

Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section of the lower end of the motor means.

The invention comprises motor means for actuating the movable jaw element or head of a pressing machine, the motor means including a movable inertia means as a fly Wheel capable of storing up energy, the inert body being normally disconnected from the motor means, an operator-operated or manually operated member for controlling the actuation of the motor means, the manually operable member having meansas a spring for returning it when released to its initial. position yassumed when the press is open.

It also comprises means controlled by the manual means for connecting and disconnecting the inert body or fly Wheel and the motor means, it serving to connect the inertia means or fly Wheel to the motor means when the manual means is being operated and held operated, but to disconnect the inertia body or fly Wheel from the motor means if the operator releases the manual before the head is closed so that upon the release of the manual control before the head is closed, the press head will not continue its closing movement under the momentum of the fly wheel, but on the other hand, will utilize the momentum to cause the head to go under nal pressure as long as the manual means is held in operated position. The inertia body or Iiy Wheel is of particular advantage where its energy con- 55. tributes toward moving the toggle more nearly into a straight line and boosts the jaw compression.

I have here illustrated my invention as embodied in a conventional type of pressing machine, the cooperating pressing elements or jaws of which are a buck l and a head 2 movable tov/'ard and from the buck; The buck is mounted on a suitable bracket 3 which is supported on the table 4 of a frame 5. The buck is usually overlaid with a compressible or spring padding 6 65 of any suitable or Well known construction. The head 2 is shown as carried at the front end of a yoke or press lever 7 pivoted at 8 to a stand*- ard 9 rising from the frame.

The motor means comprises a motor and motion transmitting connections between the movable memberof the motor and the rear arm of the yoke lever 7. The motor here shown comprises a cylinder 10 and a piston. 11 movable therein and the motion transmitting connections 75. between the piston and the rear arm of the yoke lever 7 comprise an angle lever 12 pivoted at its angle at` 13 to the base of the frame and at its front end at 1a to the piston or connecting rod 15, the other arm of the lever 15 extending upwardly and being pivoted at 17 to the lower end of the link 18 pivot-ed at i9 to the rear arm of the yoke lever '7. The arm 16 and link 1S form a toggle.

The piston is single acting and the press is opened up when the pressure in the cylinder is released by counter-springs 2G, 2l. The inertia member in which the energy is storedis preferably a fly wheel connected to any part actuated by the movable motor member or piston to be actuated thereby. As in the illustrated embodiment of this invention, a motor consisting of a cylinder and piston is used, the ily Wheel is most advantageously actuated by the piston rod.

22 designates the inertia fly Wheel which is 95 mounted upon a hollow sleeve 23 journalled in a bearing 24 formed in the head 10a at the lower end of the cylinder 10, the sleeve 23 being free or rotatable in its bearing. The fly wheel is connectible to the piston rod through a clutch device comprising a clutch member 25 Vxed to the ily wheel, a clutch head 26 shiftable into and out of engagement with the clutch member 25 and normally out of engagement therewith, this clutch head being rotatable with an axially shiftable shaft 27 journalled in the sleeve 23 and extending crosswise of the connecting rod 15 and having a pinion 28 which meshes with the rack 29 formed on the piston rod l5. The pinion is keyed to the shaft but the shaft is so mounted ilo as to move axially relatively to the pinion. The shaft is shifted in one direction by a spring 30 encircling the shaft and interposed between the pinion 28 and the abutment 31 on the shaft. This spring acts to shift and hold the clutch head 26 to its out position.

The operation of the motor is controlled by operator actuated or manual means, and as the motor here shown is a fluid operated motor the control means consists of valve mechanism, having a valve casing 32 with a normally closed spring pressed intake valve head 33 and a normally open exhaust valve head 34 therein, these valve heads being connected by a stem 35 so that they act as a unit. The valve heads are returned to their normal position by a spring 36.

The intake end of the valve casing 32 is connected to a feed pipe 37 and the casing 32 is connected between the valve heads 33 and 34 to the cylinder by a pipe 38. The valve heads are actuated against the returning spring 36 by a push button 39 acting on a lever 40 which has an arm thrusting against an intermediate lever or rocker 41, the latter thrusting against the stem 42 of the exhaust valve head 34. A returning spring 43 acts on the lever 40 to return it and the push button to their normal position.

Obviously, depression of the push button 39 will close the exhaust valve head 34 and open the intake valve head 33 permitting air or other motive fluid to flow from the feed line 37 through the valve casing 32, pipe 38 through the intake port 44 of the cylinder 10. The valve heads 33 and 34 are held in their manually operated closedpress position after the press head 2 has been moved down close to the buck or after the piston 11 has traveled a predetermined distance on its power stroke by pressure operated means including a diaphragm chamber 45 having a diaphragm 46 therein acting on a sliding stem 47 thrusting against the intermediate lever 41 to hold the valve heads 34 and 33 in their operated positions.

The pressure side of this diaphragm chamber 45 is connected by a pipe 48 to a pipe 49 which communicates with the interior of the cylinder through a port 50a located in a casing 50, this port being arranged to be uncovered by the piston 1l when the piston has traveled far enough to bring the head 2 down close to the buck 1. The press is opened by exhausting the air from the pressure side of the diaphragm chamber 45 by opening a normally closed spring pressedV exhaust valve 51 in a valve casing 52 connected by a pipe 53 to the'pipe 48. The exhaust valve 51 is operated by a release lever 54.

In order that two hands may be required to close the press, an additional control valve operated by an additional push button is employed. The reference character 55 designates the additional valve casing having a normally open exhaust valve 56 therein which is operated by a push button 57 through levers 58 and 59. rIhe valve casing 55 is connected by a pipe 60 to the pipe 38, this pipe 60 corresponding to the intake port 44 of the cylinder.V The valve 56 `is held in its operated or closed position by a diaphragm chamber 61 having a diaphragm 62 therein acting upon a sliding stem 63 which thrusts against the lever 59. The pressure `side of the diaphragm chamber is connected by a pipe 64 to the pipe 49, this pipe 64 corresponding to the pipe 48. Obviously, if the push button 57 is not depressed when the push button 39 is depressed, the air instead of passing into the port 44 from the pipe 38, will waste out through the pipe 60 and ex- -67 which thrusts against the end of the clutch haust valve casing 55. Hence, both push buttons must be depressed to permit the effective ow of air to the cylinder.

When the piston 11 travels far enough to uncover the port 50a in the casing 50, the air will pass back through the pipe 49, and the pipes 48, 64 to the diaphragm chambers 45, 61 to lock or hold the valves 33, 34 and 56, operated by the push buttons 39, 57, to their manually operated position.

The connecting of the ily wheel 22 with some moving part operated by the motor means 10 is controlled by the valves in the valve casing 32 and incidentally is subject to the operation of the valves operated by the push button 57.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the clutch shaft 27 isshifted by a pressure operated motor as a diaphragm chamber 65 having a diaphragm 66 therein acting on the sliding stem shaft 27.

The pressure side of the diaphragm chamber is connected by a pipe 68 to the pipe 38 or to the coupling 38n by means of which the pipe 38 is connected to the port 44 of the cylinder 11. Obviously, when the push buttons 39 and 57 are depressed, the air will pass 'into the diaphragm chamber 65 to actuate the diaphragm 66 therein and shift the clutch shaft 27 to the left, clutching the fly wheel 22 to the shaft so that the ily wheel 105 is connected to the piston rod 15 through a rack 29 and pinion 28. Thus while the valves 34 and 56 are closed and the intake valve is open, the fly wheel will be actuated and store up energy because it is revolved at high speed thru the gear nu means 28--29 as the piston rod travelsl downwardly.

If at any time before the press is closed and the valves locked, the operator removes his hands from either button, the air will be free to' exhaust 1115 from the diaphragm chamber 65 so that thefly wheel will be declutched and the press head will not be actuated further under the momentum of the fly wheel. When the head comes down on the padding on the buck and the toggle isapproaching straightened position, the energy stored in the fly wheel will come into action. to boost the power applied to the piston rod 15.

The press opens freely of the inertia fly wheel 22 because the operator has released both two- 125 hand control buttons 39 and 57 at the time he causes the press to open by lifting the release handle 54. Thus the clutch 25, 26-is disengaged as the piston rod returns to starting position. The fly wheel is spun or speeded up only during T30 the power stroke of the motor means 10 and at the end 'of the power stroke the inertia of the fly wheel is an aid to and augments jaw compression on the work between the head and buck.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, actuating means for the movable element, a manually operated control device for said actuating means, an inertia body and con- 14@ necting means between the control device `and the inertia body for connecting the inertia body to the actuating means.

2. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which isV movable toward and from the other, actuating means for the movable element, a manually operated control device for said actuating means, an inertia body, connecting means between the control device and the inertia body for connecting the latter to the actuating means, and means for holding the control device in operated position. Y

3. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, actuating means for the movable element, a manually operated control device for said actuating means, an inertia body, connecting means between the control device and the inertia body for connecting the latter to the actuating means, and means controlled from the actuating means for holding the control device in operated position.

4. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means :for actuating the movable element, a movable inertia body normal- 1y disconnected from the motor means, an operator operated member for controlling the actuation of the motor means, means for returning said member when released to its initial position, a clutch device for connecting and disconnecting the inertia body and the motor means, and shifting means for lthe clutch device controlled by the operator operated member.

5. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means for actuating the movable element, `a movable inertia body normally disconnected from the motor means, an operator operated member for controlling the actuation oi the motor means, means for returning said member when released to its initiposition, a clutch device for connecting and disconnecting the inertia body and the motor means, and shiftiing means for the clutch device controlled by the operator operated member, said clutch d vice being normally in its unclutched position and shiftable into clutched position by the operation of the operator operated member.

6. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means for actuating the movable element, a movable inertia body normally disconnected rom the motor means, an ope-r- 'ator operated member for controlling the actuation o-f the motor means, means for returning said member when released to its initial position, a clutch device for connecting and disconnectingthe inertia body and the motor means, shifting I means for the clutch device controlled by the op.-

erator operated member, said clutch device being normally in its unclutched position shiftable into clutched position by the operation of the operator operated member, and means controlled by the movement of the motor means to hold t Ae operator operated member in its operated position.

7. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, actuating means for the movable element, a ily wheel normally disconnected from the actuating means, operator operated means for controlling the operation of the actuating means, and means controlled by the operator operated means for connecting and disconnesting the iiy Wheel with the actuating means.

8. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, ctuating means for the movable element, a iiy Wheel normally disconnected from the actuating means, operator operated means for controlling the operation of the actuating means, means to return the operator operated means to its initial position when released by the operator, Vmeans for holding the operator operated means in its operated position when the movable element has closed a predetermined distance, clutch means for connecting and disconnecting the fly wheel with the actuating means, and means controlled by the said operator operated means for operating the clutch device.

9. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means for actuating the movable element including a cylinder, a pis-ton movable in the cylinder, motion transmitting means between the piston and the movable ressing element, an operator operated valve for controlling the flow of motive uid to and from the cylinder, means for returning the valve to its normal position assumed when the press is open, a iiy wheel, connections between the ily Wheel and one oi' the parts operated by the piston including a normally open clutch device, means controlled by said valve when operated to shift the clutch device into clutched position, and means to release the clutch device when the valve returns to its initial position.

l0. Ina pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means for actuating the movable element including a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder, motion transmitting means between the piston and the movable pressing element, an operator operated valve for controlling the new of motive fluid to and from the cylinder, means for returning the valve to its normal position assumed when the press is open, a fly wheel, connections between the fly wheel and one of the parts operated by the piston including a normally open clutch device, means controlled by said valve when operated to shift the clutch device into clutched position, means to release the clutch device when the valve returns to its initial position, and means for holding the valve in its open position after the piston has traveled a predetermined distance on its power stroke.

li. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means for actuating the movable element including a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder, motion transmitting means between the piston and the movable pressing element, an operator operated valve for controlling the flow of motive fluid to and from the cylinder, means for returning the valve to its normal position assumed when the press is open, one of the motion transmitting parts being provided with a rack, a shaft extending crosswise of the rack, a clutch head at one end of said shaft, a pinion mounted on the shaft and meshing with the rack, the shaft being slidable axially oi the pinion, a ily wheel mounted concentric with the shaft and having a clutch face complemental to said clutch head, a spring normally holding the clutch head out of clutched position, and a pressure operated motor controlled by said valve for shifting the shaft and thus, shifting the clutch head into engaged position against the action of the clutch spring.

l2. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which is movable toward and from the other, motor means for operating the movable element, motion transmitting parts between the motor means and the movable pressing element including a toggle, an operator operated control member for the motor means, means for returning the control member to its normal position assumed when the press is open,

an inertia body connected to said motion transmitting parts for storing energy, and means for disconnecting the inertia body from said motion transmitting parts when the control member is released and allowed to return to normal position.

13. A pressing machine comprising coacting jaws, a iiuid pressure motor including a cylinder and piston having a connecting rod operatively connected to one of the jaws, iiy-wheel means carried on a shaft journaled in a bearing on the cylinder, and means operatively connecting the ily-wheel means with the connecting rod.

14. A pressing machine comprising coasting jaws, a cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a shaft journaled in a bearing on the cylinder and operatively connected with the piston, a iiy-wheel rotatably mounted adjacent to one end of the shaft, a clutch to connect the ily-Wheel with the sha-ft, a diaphragm, operating means between the clutch and diaphragm to control the clutch by means of the diaphragm, a fluid connection connecting the diaphragm and the cylinder with a source of iiuid pressure, and a control valve in the iiuid connection to simultaneously admit pressure to the cylinder and diaphragm to operate the piston to close the press and to operate the diaphragm to engage the clutch.

15. A pressing machine comprising coacting press jaws, a cylinder, a piston having a connecting rod operatively connected with one of the jaws, a gear rack on the connecting rod, and a ily wheel and pinion rotatably mounted upon the cylinder and having the pinion engaging the gear rack.

16. A pressing machine comprising coacting press jaws, a cylinder having a head on one end thereof with a bearing formed transversely of the cylinder in said cylinder head, a shaft journaled in the bearing, a fly wheel carried on the shaft, a piston and rod reciprocable in the cylin` der transversely to the shaft, a gear rack formed on the rod, a pinion fixed on the shai't and engaging the gear rack, and operating connectings between the piston rod and a press jaw.

17. A garment or ironing press comprising coacting pressing jaws, a cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a shaft journalled in a bearing on the cylinder and operatively connected with the piston, the shaft having axial movement in the bearing, a fly-wheel rotatably mounted upon the cylinder, a clutch to operatively connect the iiy-Wheel with the shaft and having one clutch member carried upon the shaft, a ldiaphragm ad jacent the end of the shaft, operating means between the diaphragm and the end of the shaft to shift the shaft axially and control the clutch thereby, a fluid connection connecting the diaphragm and the cylinder with a source of fluid pressure, and a control valve in the fluid connection to simultaneously admit pressure to the cyle inder to operate the piston and close the press and to operate the diaphragm to engage the clutch.

ERNEST DAVIS. 

